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'Milk' scribe to pen, direct '3 Story' adaptation

THR EXCLUSIVE

Warner Bros. has picked up movie rights to "3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man," a Dark Horse Comics graphic novel by Matt Kindt.

Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning writer of "Milk," will pen and direct the adaptation, which will be produced by Mike Richardson via Dark Horse Entertainment.

The graphic novel is a modern fable, exploring the life of a giant man, Craig Pressgang, whose strange medical condition causes continuous growth. The tale is told from the point of view of three women -- his mother, wife and daughter -- and follows Craig's journey from birth to his eventual three-story height. It also serves as an exploration of loneliness and love's changing nature.

The acquisition by Warners is an eyebrow-raising move because the material is on the arty side and downbeat, too. But the studio responded to Black's take, which would focus on the father-daughter relationship and soften the melancholic ending.

Dark Horse's Keith Goldberg will executive produce.

Lynn Harris and Matthew Milam are overseeing for Warners.

Dark Horse is developing "R.I.P.D." at Universal, with Ryan Reynolds attached to star, as well as "The Umbrella Academy," also at Universal, and "Damn Nation" at Paramount.

"3 Story" represents a move into the studio world for the CAA-repped Black, who won an Oscar for original screenwriting fo "Milk," the Gus Van Sant-directed biopic of Harvey Milk.

Black made his directorial debut with the indie drama "What's Wrong With Virginia," which stars Emma Roberts and Jennifer Connelly. He also wrote the screenplay for the pic, which does not have a release date.

Black also wrote the screenplay for Clint Eastwood's latest project, "Hoover," about the legendary head of the FBI, and recently penned and produced episodes of HBO's "Big Love."